Month: February 2021

FortressIQ just comes out and says it: To really understand business processes, feed your staff’s screen activity to an AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a sign that interest in process mining is heating up, vendor FortressIQ is launching an analytics platform with a novel approach to understanding how users really work – it “videos” their on-screen activity for later analysis. According to the San Francisco-based biz, its Process Intelligence platform will allow organisations to be better prepared for Read more about FortressIQ just comes out and says it: To really understand business processes, feed your staff’s screen activity to an AI[…]

Kia’s Network Is Down, Finance Sites to Owner Apps, Nobody Will Say Why – yay connected cars

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Like it or not, connected cars have become a staple of every day life for millions of Americans. The ability to interact with our cars from afar past the key fob has become something we expect to work, but that all relies on the underpinnings of critical IT infrastructure. And when something isn’t working as Read more about Kia’s Network Is Down, Finance Sites to Owner Apps, Nobody Will Say Why – yay connected cars[…]

Astrophysicists re-imagine world map, designing a less distorted, ‘radically different’ way to see the world

Posted on by Robin Edgar

How do you flatten a sphere? For centuries, mapmakers have agonized over how to accurately display our round planet on anything other than a globe. Now, a fundamental re-imagining of how maps can work has resulted in the most accurate flat map ever made, from a trio of map experts: J. Richard Gott, an emeritus Read more about Astrophysicists re-imagine world map, designing a less distorted, ‘radically different’ way to see the world[…]

Supermicro hardware Hack: Yep did happen. How China Exploited a U.S. Tech Supplier Over Years

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense found thousands of its computer servers sending military network data to China—the result of code hidden in chips that handled the machines’ startup process. In 2014, Intel Corp. discovered that an elite Chinese hacking group breached its network through a single server that downloaded malware from a supplier’s Read more about Supermicro hardware Hack: Yep did happen. How China Exploited a U.S. Tech Supplier Over Years[…]

Brazil’s Health Ministry’s Website Data Leak Exposed 243 Million Medical Records for More Than 6 Months

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Personal information of more than 243 million Brazilians was exposed for more than six months thanks to weakly encoded credentials stored in the source code of the Brazilian Ministry of Health’s website. The data leak exposed both living and deceased Brazilians’ medical records to possible unauthorized access. The incident was the second reported by Brazilian Read more about Brazil’s Health Ministry’s Website Data Leak Exposed 243 Million Medical Records for More Than 6 Months[…]

Cell Phone Location Privacy could be done easily

Posted on by Robin Edgar

We all know that our cell phones constantly give our location away to our mobile network operators; that’s how they work. A group of researchers has figured out a way to fix that. “Pretty Good Phone Privacy” (PGPP) protects both user identity and user location using the existing cellular networks. It protects users from fake Read more about Cell Phone Location Privacy could be done easily[…]

Swarm Announces Commercial Availability of Industry’s Lowest-Cost Global Satellite Data Service

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Swarm, developer of the world’s lowest-cost live satellite communications network, today announced that the Swarm network is now commercially live and available for customers to begin using. Swarm is the first low-cost satellite provider to offer commercial services to every point in the world, and companies in markets ranging from agriculture, to logistics to maritime Read more about Swarm Announces Commercial Availability of Industry’s Lowest-Cost Global Satellite Data Service[…]

China issues new anti-monopoly rules targeting its tech giants

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The new rules formalise an earlier anti-monopoly draft law released in November and clarify a series of monopolistic practices that regulators plan to crack down on. The guidelines are expected to put new pressure on the country’s leading internet services, including e-commerce sites such as Alibaba Group’s Taobao and Tmall marketplaces or JD.com. They will Read more about China issues new anti-monopoly rules targeting its tech giants[…]

China to launch public platform to track, crack down on polluters

Posted on by Robin Edgar

China will set up a new information platform to allow the public to track the emissions of polluting enterprises and help authorities prosecute those that break the rules or try to “evade supervision”, the environment ministry said. A total of 2.36 million companies, industrial facilities and institutions in China are legally obliged to obtain permits Read more about China to launch public platform to track, crack down on polluters[…]

I checked Apple’s new privacy ‘nutrition labels.’ Many were false.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Apple only lets you access iPhone apps through its own App Store, which it says keeps everything safe. It appeared to bolster that idea when it announced in 2020 that it would ask app makers to fill out what are essentially privacy nutrition labels. Just like packaged food has to disclose how much sugar Read more about I checked Apple’s new privacy ‘nutrition labels.’ Many were false.[…]

A Bug in Lenovo System Update Service is Driving Up CPU Usage and Prompting Fan Noise in Laptops and Desktops, Customers Say

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Since late January, most users running a pre-installed Lenovo image of Windows 10 has been bitten by a bug in Lenovo’s System Update Service (SUService.exe) causing it to constantly occupy a CPU thread. This was noticed by many ThinkPad and IdeaPad users as an unexpected increase in fan noise, but many desktop users might not Read more about A Bug in Lenovo System Update Service is Driving Up CPU Usage and Prompting Fan Noise in Laptops and Desktops, Customers Say[…]

Researchers Say Favicons Can Track You Across the Web

Posted on by Robin Edgar

German software designer Jonas Strehle has published a proof of concept on GitHub that he says demonstrates a method in which the favicon’s cache can be used to store a unique identifier for a user that is readable “in the browser’s incognito mode and is not cleared by flushing the cache, closing the browser or Read more about Researchers Say Favicons Can Track You Across the Web[…]

Metalenz Wants to Jump-Start Phone Cameras Again With Better Lenses

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A new company called Metalenz, which emerges from stealth mode today, is looking to disrupt smartphone cameras with a single, flat lens system that utilizes a technology called optical metasurfaces. A camera built around this new lens tech can produce an image of the same if not better quality as traditional lenses, collect more light Read more about Metalenz Wants to Jump-Start Phone Cameras Again With Better Lenses[…]

Quest for Hollywood Fame Splits Redditors at Heart of Market Frenzy

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Late on Wednesday, a moderator of the popular Reddit message board WallStreetBets posted several screenshots on the chat app Discord. They showed that other moderators had quietly started talking among themselves about landing a movie deal. “What’s our cut?” one of the moderators had asked in a Discord chat, according to the screenshots. By Thursday Read more about Quest for Hollywood Fame Splits Redditors at Heart of Market Frenzy[…]

Scientists develop transparent wood that is stronger and lighter than glass

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers at the University of Maryland have turned ordinary sheets of wood into transparent material that is nearly as clear as glass, but stronger and with better insulating properties. It could become an energy efficient building material in the future. Wood is made of two basic ingredients: cellulose, which are tiny fibres, and lignin, which Read more about Scientists develop transparent wood that is stronger and lighter than glass[…]

Terraria dev cancels Stadia port after Google disabled his email account for three weeks – Kafka has nothing on this

Posted on by Robin Edgar

What do you do if Google disables your cloud life? Andrew Spinks, co-author of the Terraria game and president of Re-Logic Games, does not know either, but has declared Google “a liability” and cancelled the port of Terraria to its Stadia platform.Terraria, co-designed by Spinks, was first released for Windows in 2011 and has sold Read more about Terraria dev cancels Stadia port after Google disabled his email account for three weeks – Kafka has nothing on this[…]

r/wallstreetbets: hostile takeover by old mods trying to monetise and push down GME price. Go to r/wallstreetbetstest and r/wallstreetbetsnew now

Posted on by Robin Edgar

I was confused, annoyed and sad trying to understand what had happened. I was removed by the senior moderator at r/wallstreetbets who is u/turdled . I messaged him asking for an explanation, but have still not been given one. It was at this same time that several other moderators were removed and getting banned left Read more about r/wallstreetbets: hostile takeover by old mods trying to monetise and push down GME price. Go to r/wallstreetbetstest and r/wallstreetbetsnew now[…]

FTC fines Amazon $61.7 million for withholding tips from Flex drivers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon will pay a $61.7 million fine to settle allegations the company had failed to properly pay out tips to its Flex delivery drivers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Tuesday. The fine stems from a payment change the company implemented in late 2016. At the time, Amazon said Flex drivers, which use their Read more about FTC fines Amazon $61.7 million for withholding tips from Flex drivers[…]

India’s government threatens to jail Twitter employees unless they block critics

Posted on by Robin Edgar

India’s government has warned Twitter that it must obey its orders to remove “inflammatory content” or employees will face potential jail time, Buzzfeed has reported. The government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, made the edict after Twitter unblocked 257 accounts criticizing Modi’s government around farmer protests, after initially blocking them. The accounts in question come Read more about India’s government threatens to jail Twitter employees unless they block critics[…]

British Troops Get Small Swarming Drones They Can Fire From 40mm Grenade Launchers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

British Army troops in Mali are now reportedly using tiny unmanned aircraft that can be fired from standard 40mm grenade launchers. These diminutive quad-copter-type drones can be fitted with various payloads, ranging from full-motion electro-optical video cameras to small high-explosive or armor-piercing warheads, and that can fly together as a swarm after launch. Overt Defense Read more about British Troops Get Small Swarming Drones They Can Fire From 40mm Grenade Launchers[…]

How to Restore Recently Deleted Instagram Posts – because deleted means: stored somewhere you can’t get at them

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Instagram is adding a new “Recently deleted” folder to the app’s menu that temporarily stores posts after you remove them from your profile or archive, giving you the ability to restore deleted posts if you change your mind. The folder includes sections for photos, IGTV, Reels, and Stories posts. No one else can see your Read more about How to Restore Recently Deleted Instagram Posts – because deleted means: stored somewhere you can’t get at them[…]

Amazon Plans to Install Creepy Always-On Surveillance Cameras in Delivery Vans

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Not content to only wield its creepy surveillance infrastructure against warehouse workers and employees considering unionization, Amazon is reportedly gearing up to install perpetually-on cameras inside its fleet of delivery vehicles as well. A new report from The Information claims that Amazon recently shared the plans in an instructional video sent out to the contractor Read more about Amazon Plans to Install Creepy Always-On Surveillance Cameras in Delivery Vans[…]

These 3D-Printed Fish Bots Can Swarm and School

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers have made a smart school of robotic fish that swarm and swim just like the real deal, and they offer promising insights into how developers can improve decentralized, autonomous operations for other gizmos like self-driving vehicles and robotic space explorers. Also, they’re just pretty stinking cute. These seven 3D-printed robots, or Bluebots, can synchronize Read more about These 3D-Printed Fish Bots Can Swarm and School[…]

Synology to enforce use of validated disks in enterprise NAS boxes. And guess what? Only its own disks exceed 4TB

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Synology has introduced its first-ever list of validated disks and won’t allow other devices into its enterprise-class NAS devices. And in a colossal coincidence, half of the disks allowed into its devices – and the only ones larger than 4TB – are Synology’s very own HAT 5300 disks that it launched last week. Seeing as Read more about Synology to enforce use of validated disks in enterprise NAS boxes. And guess what? Only its own disks exceed 4TB[…]